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WASHINGTON: A senior United Arab Emirates official said on Friday Tehran cannot be trusted over any unilateral arrangements it makes for the Strait of Hormuz, in a sign of deep mistrust on all sides as efforts to end the Iran war remained at an impasse.
Two months into the conflict, the vital sea channel is still largely closed because of an Iranian blockade and the US Navy is blocking exports of Iranian crude oil. The blockade has choked off 20 per cent of the world’s oil and gas supplies, pushing up global energy prices and increasing concerns that there will be an economic downturn.
Iran has activated air defences and plans a wide response if attacked, having assessed that there will be a short, intensive US strike, possibly followed by an Israeli attack, two senior Iranian sources said.
‘Treacherous aggression’
Underlining the concerns of Gulf states, UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said the “collective international will and provisions of international law” were the primary guarantors of freedom of navigation through the strait.
“And, of course, no unilateral Iranian arrangements can be trusted or relied upon following its treacherous aggression against all its neighbours,” Gargash wrote.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei cautioned on Thursday against expecting quick results from talks.
A senior official of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said any new US attack on Iran, even if limited, would usher in “long and painful strikes” on US regional positions, while Aerospace Force Commander Majid Mousavi was quoted by Iranian media as saying: “We’ve seen what happened to your regional bases, we will see the same thing happen to your warships.”
Axios news site reported that one plan shared with Trump during a briefing by top military leaders involved using ground forces to take over part of the strait to reopen it to commercial shipping. Trump is also considering extending the blockade or declaring a unilateral victory, officials said.
Washington did not announce any details of its plans. In a sign that the US was also envisaging a scenario where hostilities cease, a State Department cable to partner nations invited them to join a new coalition, called the Maritime Freedom Construct, to enable ships to navigate the strait.
Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2026
